1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roll formed roll-up door guide and built-in double wind bar mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for roll-up door guides have been designed in the past. None of them, however, are made from a foldable sheet compatible with roll forming manufacturing methods with the consequent cost savings. The door guides in the past required the use of secondary operations to make them hurricane resistant. In addition to being very costly, the guiding mechanisms of the prior art failed to withstand the wind loads required by the competent authorities. Most of the time, the wind load is concentrated in one contact point (the wind lock assembly) causing the latter to break.
One of the door guides of the related prior art is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,040 issued to Magro, et al. on May 30, 2000 for a slat edge retainer for overhead rolling doors. Magro's patented invention relates to wind-resistant overhead rolling doors with a retainer for securing the edges of the slat including an edge retainer for a slat of an overhead rolling door. It includes a plurality slats, each defining a slat plane with two opposing substantially parallel longitudinal edges in the lateral edge at each longitudinal end. The retainer includes first and second members having mounting portions at the lateral edge of the slat and are secured to opposite surfaces of the slat to receive at least a portion of the lateral edge sandwiched there between. An end lock is integrally formed with one of the mounting portions and extends from one side of the slat to the other side of the slat. A wind lock is integrally formed with the other mounting portion and extends from the other side thereof to the first side of the slat. However, it differs from the present invention because, inter alia, the door guide and wind bar are implemented using several components requiring numerous secondary operations. More important, the combination and interaction of the elements in the present invention provide more points of support upon the application of positive and negative wind forces, such as those generated by hurricanes.
Another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,805 issued to Magro on Aug. 19, 1997 for a wind-resistant overhead closure. Magro's patented invention relates to closures for openings in building structures, which are wind-resistant, such as a wind-resistant overhead door including windbars mounted on the side portions of the frame, and windlocks or endlocks on the lateral edge portions of the intermediate and bottommost of endmost slats of the closure, such as a rolling door.
Still another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,535 issued to David A. Wells for a roll up assembly that includes a wind lock 56 in the flange 60 that engages with hook portion 64. However, wind lock 56 is a discrete component that is mounted to guiding tracks 14 and 16. In the present invention, roll-formed guiding member 20 is integrally built and implements also the wind lock 30. Furthermore, guiding wall 28 and 29 in the present invention provide considerable more guiding area and better locking action between wind lock 30 and hook portion 43.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.